How to find a job in a challenging market

Brexit has had an impact on the construction engineering job market, with many companies putting their recruitment on hold. In this more challenging market how can technical candidates stand out and ensure they get shortlisted for interview? Read our 5 tips here.

The construction engineering job market has been what is known as a ‘candidate’s market’ for many years, owing to skills shortages and high demand for experienced engineers. However, as in many other sectors, Brexit has had an impact on the job market with many companies putting development and recruitment on hold. As a result there are fewer available roles and more competition from other candidates.

If you’re looking for a job in this challenging market there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting an interview and ultimately a job offer. Here are our top tips for finding your next role:

5 tips for finding a job in a tough construction engineering job market

1. Forget the ‘perfect’ job – be prepared to compromise

In a candidate’s market it’s not unreasonable to approach your job search with a checklist of all the things you want in your ‘perfect’ job. But with fewer opportunities and more competition, if you really want to make a career move you need to compromise a little. By all means draw up a list of the ‘must haves’ but only include the things that are deal breakers.

2. Think about the future

When assessing the job opportunities that do come your way consider whether they can help you take a step in the right direction. If your perfect job isn’t available or achievable in the current market you might find that a different job with the right employer will help you get there in the future.

3. Keep your skills up-to-date

More competition in the job market means that employers can take their pick of skilled candidates. Make sure your skills and professional qualifications are up-to-date to ensure you’re in the running.

4. Tailor your CV to each role

You should always tailor your CV, covering letter or application to the specific role, but it’s even more important when there’s lots of competition for that job. Many people take shortcuts by only tailoring their personal statement and objective. We recommend tailoring everything including your previous jobs by highlighting key achievements and relevant skills that relate to the job opportunity.

5. Attend interviews with an open mind

When you do get invited to an interview, go with an open mind even if you’re not sure the job is right for you. An interview is an opportunity to find out more about the job and company, and will often reveal things that weren’t included in the job description. You may find that the role offers more flexibility or scope than you thought, or that the role and company offers better progression or training and development than is currently available to you.

Brexit may have introduced more competition into the construction engineering job market but overall skilled and experienced engineers are still in high demand. If you would like to discuss your career plans with a specialist recruitment consultant, please get in touch.